Real Climate Records

Thousands at the Seaside.

For the majority of people Boxing Day marks the close of the Christmas holidays. At the same time it is in itself the holiday par excellence of the season.

Nothing that took place in Southern Queensland yesterday, however, will cause Boxing Day,1893, to be remembered so much as will the phenomenal heat experienced.

There were race meetings here, sports gatherings and picnics there, and excursions everywhere, but the attendants at all these outings, as well as the brave patrons of the theatres, were all more or less conscious of a high temperature. The population of Brisbane yesterday noted after a fashion the part of a big wave.

In their outward rush the people filled up the various means of exit afforded by trains, steamers, and other less important conveyances. The close of too day saw a great emptying of holiday resorts, and a steady homeward-bound stream.

Those who had by choice or from necessity remained in the city had during the any somewhat envied the excursionists, but the sun-scorched and oven bedraggled appearance of the latter on their return showed that they, had not fallen upon unalloyed pleasure. In the evening there was a smaller wave, which partly occupied the main streets, end wholly crowded the theatres, where King Pantomine and Queen Melodrama respectively held sway.

The next epoch was at 10 o’clock, when with much flashing and rumbling a thunderstorm came up from the south, shook a few drops of rain to earth, and passed on northward. Midnight saw the moon endeavouring to throw her rays over a dozing city of silence ; hut tee smoke from bush fires among the ranges, on the hills, and in the country around, rather thwarted the efforts of

the goddess of the night. And the people, as they lay restless and half awake, dreamt of the

New Year holidays, and hoped that the sun would then he a trifle less fervent.